


Things Are Getting Strange

by katayla



Category: The Black Tapes Podcast
Genre: F/M, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 01:44:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8948698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katayla/pseuds/katayla
Summary: Nic observes and maybe matchmakes a little.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cher/gifts).



"It's Alex's birthday next week," Nic said.

"Okay," Dr. Strand said in his "Why are you telling me this?" voice.

It would click eventually--Nic hoped. Last year, Alex's birthday had been during one of her and Strand's estranged periods, but Nic had caught her checking her email and texts a lot that day. And, well, he didn't ask any questions that would force him to have another conversation about ethics in journalism with Alex, but he edited the podcast. He tried not to get the shippers more fuel than they already had, but he couldn't cut out _all_ of their conversations.

And Alex seemed to like the guy and she had been through a lot. So Nic figured he could give a hint or two along the way.

-

A few days later, Strand sent an email to Nic. The subject line read "Please pass this on to Alex." All that was in the body of the email was a link. Nic clicked on it and shook his head.

_Is this your way of asking Alex on a date?_ he wrote back

He wasn't really expecting a response to that, but he got one:

_I am merely passing information along._

_But you don't believe in ghosts._

_Now_ Strand stopped responding. But, really, he was worse than Alex at the height of her sleep deprivation. He'd sent Nic a reddit thread about spooky sightings at a Seattle restaurant. Now, Nic had been on reddit--and he sure hoped Strand hadn't seen certain threads about the podcast--and had read genuinely spooky stories. This thread had nothing but reports of chills and glimpses out of corners of the eyes and a rumor that someone might've died there in the 19th century. The kind of stories Strand wouldn't even bother dismissing--he would just ignore.

Well, what could you expect from a man who probably hadn't been on a date for the last two decades? So he forwarded the email on to their intern, along with instructions to make reservations for Alex and Strand on Alex's birthday. The intern immediately responded, "YESSSSSS."

-

"So I need you and Strand to go to this restaurant and check it out," Nic said. "We can use it as a bonus episode, maybe."

Alex sorted through the stack of papers Nic had handed her. "I don't know, Nic. There doesn't seem to be much there."

Now that strung. Nic had scoured the internet for anything he could find about the restaurant and even asked Meerkatnip to use her sources. So there was no reason for Alex to be so judgemental.

"It'll be a nice break from the stress of investigating the end of the world."

"Gee, thanks."

"You have reservations for tomorrow night."

"Ugh, Nic, on my birthday? This better not be another surprise party."

"Hey, I swore I'd never do that again!"

Nic really should've anticipated her thinking that, but at least that meant she didn't suspect his true motives. Or Strand's real motives. Whatever. The two of them deserved a night out together.

-

"I hope you're bringing her a gift," Nic said, as soon as Strand answered the phone.

"Presents are not appropriate for ghost hunting," Strand said.

"Is that a joke?"

Silence.

"Okay, fine," Nic said. "I'm just saying that if you're asking her to work on her birthday, you should at least give her something."

"I didn't make the reservations," Strand said. "I didn't choose the date."

"Hm, so you _do_ think about it as a date."

"You know, Nic," Strand said. "I do believe you're suffering from apophenia about the state of my and Ms. Regan's relationship."

-

But he brought her a gift. Nic knew because he had maybe asked the intern to make reservations for him and Meerkatnip as well.

"You're paying me extra for this, right?" she asked, as they settled at a table hopefully far enough away from Alex and Strand that they wouldn't be noticed.

"Isn't paying for your dinner enough?"

"I'll expect the money in my account before the end of the night."

"Already there."

"So," Meerkatnip said, after looking at her menu for approximately five seconds before putting it down. "You are as obsessed with these two as the internet is."

"I am not obsessed and stop sending me fanfic links!"

"You're the producer," she said. "You should know these things."

"I didn't even ask you to look up stuff for The Black Tapes--and you better not charge me for that."

She shrugged. "I was curious."

Nic took longer with the menu than Meerkatnip did, mostly because he was also using it to hide behind. Strand handed Alex a small box, which turned out to be a necklace. He couldn't really see the details from here, but it sparkled and Alex looked happy.

"Not bad," Meerkatnip said. She had a compact mirror out and was using it to spy on them.

"You have experience at this," Nic said. Of course she did.

She shrugged. "I like to get out in the field now and then. We really should've planted a bug."

"What? No, that's unethical."

"Not if you're using it for good!"

"Pretty sure that's not how ethics work."

But, yeah, as the night progressed, Nic wished he could hear what they were saying. It was, as ever, hard to tell with the two of them, but at least they didn't seem to be arguing. He even caught Strand smiling a time or two. And Alex ordered wine, so she probably knew that it wasn't really a ghost investigation.

When Strand left the table, Alex picked her phone and a moment later, Nic's phone buzzed.

"Uh-oh," he said. And Alex wiggled her phone in his direction.

So Nic picked up his phone and read what she wrote him, _Neither Strand nor I are as stupid as you think we are. Leave us alone._

Nic started typing, but kept erasing what he wrote and he could see Alex alternating between looking at her phone and glaring at him, so eventually he stood up and walked over.

"What are you doing?" Alex hissed, as he took Strand's seat. "I don't think he's noticed you."

"I don't care," Nic said. "This is important. This wasn't my idea."

Alex let out a puff of air. "Really, Nic? Super-sketchy ghosts hauntings that have nothing to do with the Black Tapes and just happen to take place at a romantic restaurant and I just happen to have to investigate it on my birthday? With Dr. Strand?"

"He sent me the link,"

"What?" And Alex dropped her phone onto her plate.

"Yeah, I mentioned that your birthday was coming up and he _just happened_ to send me a link about said super-romantic restaurant."

Alex bit her lip. "It's all apophenia, Nic."

And Nic stood up and spread his hands out. "See, and now I have no choice, but to ship it."

"Explain."

Nic shook his head. "Gotta go."

And he darted back to his table before Strand could catch him. "You know, we might never solve Tanis, but I think I'm starting to get a handle on those two."

"Cheers to that," Meerkatnip said.

(Across the room, Alex had taken Strand's hand in hers.)


End file.
